The Holidays
by Monkey and Cookee
Summary: AU-ish. Toshio is alone during the holidays but someone leaves him a present. Why? And what could it be? -M.


**Monkey: Hello~ I'm back with another Grudge fic x3**

**This is actually dedicated to SoulReaper1172 who asked for a Toshio fic back over the summer... It's so late, I'm so sorry x.x But I finally wrote something n.n;**

**Hope you like it! :)**

* * *

><p>The holidays never brought a smile to Toshio's face.<p>

Trapped in a house of death, the love long gone.

Snow fell gently outside, covering the city in an innocent white.

Times like this reminded him of everything he'd lost, everything he'd never get the chance to have.

Unblinking black eyes stared out a window, just watching the snow fall.

He didn't see people walk by the house anymore; they knew it was cursed.

He couldn't blame him.

His cat sat beside him, tail slowly moving side to side. Toshio lazily glanced at it, remembering a time when they would chase each other and roll around together.

Remembering when they had fun.

Movement outside caught his attention.

A teen girl was following a young boy, probably about eight years old.

"Tsuka! You know what mom told us about this house!" the girl called out, keeping an eye on the boy at a distance from the house.

"I wanna leave a present!" Tsuka replied, walking closer, stumbling a bit through the snow.

Toshio watched in masked interest. The boy shook his black hair to rid himself of the accumulating snow.

In his hands was a small box wrapped in dark blue paper with a bright red bow.

"Tsuka! Don't go so close!"

"Hold on!" He stopped just outside the gate. His dark eyes scanned the house for any sign of life, or maybe a person looking out a window.

Toshio was sure he couldn't see him.

Tsuka grinned before setting the box on the ground outside the gate. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out, "Happy holidays!"

The girl, who was probably his sister, stared in shock at Tsuka, her eyes wide in fear. She brought a hand up to her chest, waiting for something bad to happen.

Nothing did.

Tsuka seemed satisfied so he turned to her. "I'm done! Let's go."

She rushed to him and grabbed his hand to pull him away.

Just before they turned the corner, Tsuka looked back and waved. Then he was out of sight.

Toshio didn't move.

It was a prank. It had to be. A total stranger doesn't give someone like him a present. He hadn't received a present in a long time, and people feared ghosts.

The cat shifted and left the room, bored.

Toshio waited.

He waited for the boy to return and take back his gift.

Night fell and the streetlights illuminated the snow covered city. It had stopped snowing hours ago, soon after the boy had left.

He never came back.

Toshio had enough of his curiosity and he left the house to go see the present.

He ignored the fact that he could no longer feel the cold, that his breath would never show up in little puffs of smoke again.

Reaching past the gate, he picked up the present. It was only a little bigger than his hand.

Before he could think, he lightly rattled the box, wanting to figure out what was in there.

Tentatively, he unwrapped it, trying not to destroy the wrapping paper. He didn't know why he was treating the gift so gently.

Part of him still expected it to be a prank.

He opened the box and saw a toy car was inside.

He blinked, staring at it. He wasn't sure if he was happy, since the last time he felt that way was before death wormed its way into his home.

The cat came out and meowed by his feet. Toshio lowered the box so his cat could peer inside. It pawed at the present.

Toshio vaguely remembered playing with his cat and a few toy cars what seemed like a lifetime ago.

He went inside, the cat following.

Toshio placed the car on the ground, setting the box beside it.

The holidays would never bring a smile to his face.

But one kind act made these times a lot better.

* * *

><p><strong>Monkey: So I don't know whether this fic is happy, sad, weird... I'll call it bittersweet n.n;<strong>

**Thank you for reading! :3**


End file.
